BEIJING: America’s strengthened military pact with Australia is a figment of “Cold War thinking” that will destabilise the Asia-Pacific region, China’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, in Beijing’s strongest criticism yet of a move widely seen as intended to counter China’s rising assertiveness.

Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng’s comments at a monthly news conference came short of the scathing attacks on the agreement from China’s nationalist press and outspoken academics.

However, they reflected a harsher tone from the armed forces, whose expanding budget and reach have rattled many of China’s neighbours and prompted them to seek strengthened alliances with the region’s dominant military power, America.

“Military alliances were created by history. We think that all moves to strengthen and expand military alliances are a product of Cold War thinking that run counter to the era’s trend of peace, development and cooperation,” Geng said.

Despite that criticism, Geng said Chinese and US defence officials will still meet for consultations on Dec 7. Gen Ma Xiaotian, the People’s Liberation Army’s deputy chief of staff, and US Defence Undersecretary Michele Flournoy will be co-chairs. Ma will then go to New Delhi for China-India defence and security consultations on Dec 9, Geng said.—AP